I’ve wanted to visit Yanqing’s Hundred-Mile Gallery for a long time. Several attractions on my annual pass are located along this route. Perhaps because it’s in the suburbs of Beijing and feels close enough to go anytime, I kept putting off the trip.
The weather in Beijing after the Start of Autumn wasn’t cool—in fact, it felt muggy as early as the morning of August 14. I thought the mountains in Yanqing would be cooler, but they were just as muggy. It was cool inside the car, but stifling once we got out, which gave me a bit of a summer cold. Despite the muggy weather, the journey was accompanied by green mountains, clear waters, and seas of flowers, making the beautiful scenery a feast for the eyes.
We set off at 7:00 AM, first getting on the Badaling Expressway. Since I hadn’t been there before, I used my phone for navigation—which promptly earned me an angry outburst from my family: “This piece of junk phone deserves to be smashed.” The navigation instructed us to exit the expressway at Changping Xiguan Roundabout and get onto the national road Jingyin Road. Thinking Jingyin Road might be closer than the Badaling Expressway, I followed the navigation’s directions and exited. Anyone familiar with the Badaling Expressway could have predicted the outcome—we were surrounded by countless large trucks, crawling along a narrow road at a snail’s pace. Overtaking was nearly impossible on a road almost entirely dominated by trucks. That’s when I remembered this was the truckers’ route; trucks weren’t allowed on the expressway, so they all took this road. There was no turning back now, so we had to press on. And yet, tolls were still collected on this road. I’ll definitely avoid this route in the future—it wastes time, costs money, and is dangerous.
We arrived in Yanqing after 9:00 AM. Once we got on the mountainous winding roads, all the earlier frustrations melted away. The fresh air, the green trees, and the roads—with only the occasional truck and a handful of cars—offered a tranquility you simply can’t enjoy in the city.
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Driving through the Hundred-Mile Gallery and breathing in the fresh air, we reached the Qianjiadian rest area. By then, I had grown accustomed to the endless greenery of the mountains, so the sudden burst of floral colors came as a delightful surprise. Along the roadside appeared a vast sea of flowers—purple, red, and yellow—vibrantly assaulting my vision. We parked the car and rushed toward the flower sea. This flower field wasn’t very large, planted with purple verbena, red cockscomb flowers, and yellow sunflowers. Perhaps due to the cooler weather or not yet being peak season for sunflowers, most of them hadn’t bloomed yet, with only a few scattered blooms here and there.
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Flower viewing turned out to be an unexpected highlight of the trip. Next, we continued our journey along the Hundred-Mile Gallery. According to our planned itinerary, our first stop was Chaoyang Temple. It wasn’t a weekend, so there were very few visitors—the huge parking lot had only our car. In front of the temple was a small bridge, beneath which flowed a creek. It was a rather ordinary place, but perhaps because there were no tourists, it exuded a serene beauty. After crossing the bridge, there were 182 stone steps to climb. The sun was directly overhead, and the bare stone steps offered no shade whatsoever, making me hesitate about whether to continue. But I figured visiting a temple required sincerity, and these steps were part of the test. No matter how hot it was, I had to climb up and pay my respects. At the top, there was first a stage, followed by a small square. The temple’s main gate faced the stage. Inside, we met the caretaker, who told us we were the first visitors of the day—usually there were more people, but today was quieter.
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After descending from Chaoyang Temple, our next destination was the Silicified Wood Park. The park features a silicified wood exhibition hall. Though the hall isn’t large, it’s well done—you can see silicified wood specimens as well as TV documentaries that provide scientific knowledge. It’s fascinating how something that’s wood looks just like stone.
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The Dripping Water Pot scenic area is also part of the Hundred-Mile Gallery, but due to landslides caused by rain blocking the road, we couldn’t visit this spot. Next up was the Wulong Grand Canyon. We arrived there after 1:00 PM, the hottest time of the day. There weren’t many visitors either. Although there had been quite a bit of rain this year, the water in the canyon wasn’t very abundant. Strangely, the water was quite murky, almost muddy. The walking paths along the canyon are wooden boardwalks built along the mountains and water, twisting and turning through the landscape. The scenic area has put effort into the boardwalks, with widened wooden platforms for resting at intervals, as well as flat resting spots built into the terrain. The rocks in Wulong Canyon, eroded by flowing water over time, form a unique canyon landscape. Walking along the canyon boardwalks and admiring the views is definitely worth the trip.
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The Dragon King Temple is located not far behind Wulong Grand Canyon—just a short drive around the corner. We didn’t go in, but we did take a photo at the entrance.
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Yanqing’s Hundred-Mile Gallery isn’t just a scenic byway, but also a corridor of science. Along the road, there are frequent informational signs about geological landforms paired with the natural scenery, allowing us to gain some scientific knowledge while enjoying the natural views.
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Our planned itinerary was now complete. Originally, we considered returning toward Huairou via Wulong Grand Canyon, but at the Hundred-Mile Gallery stone monument (where there’s an information station), we heard there were flower seas nearby. So we returned to the station to ask where they were. The staff told us that besides the flower sea we saw at Qianjiadian, there was also the Four Seasons Flower Sea in Sihaizhen, which we could check out.
We turned from Liugan Road onto Yanliu Road, heading toward Sihaizhen. Not far from the Four Seasons Flower Sea, another surprise flower sea appeared—this one called “Colorful Farm Garden.” In addition to flowers and sunflowers, there was also a field of grain crops, offering both floral beauty and a chance to learn about local produce.
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The Four Seasons Flower Sea is quite expansive. From the entrance to the viewing platform, over a kilometer of road is lined with vast fields of various flowers. Looking down from the viewing platform, the rolling layers of color are spectacular. However, since different flowers bloom in different seasons, the spring blooms had already faded, the autumn ones hadn’t opened yet, and only the summer flowers were in full display. Even so, the blooms were relatively sparse, and the colors somewhat muted.
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Comparatively speaking, the most beautiful of the three flower seas was the “Colorful Farm Garden.” The sunflower field was large and in full bloom, creating a magnificent sight. Though the flower sea itself isn’t very big, it features a rich variety of seasonal blooms in vibrant, eye-catching colors. Strolling through the flower sea is truly enchanting.
My body was tired, but my mood was joyful. Yanqing’s Hundred-Mile Gallery gave me a wonderful day.